The Belt of Deltora:Guidebook for DQ Fic Writters
by emmyjenny
Summary: Frustrated about your lack of Deltoran knowledge? Angry that your parents threw your DQ books out? Well LOOK NO FURTHER! Your salvation is here! Inside this humble FanFic is knowledge just begging you to read it.. Can't You Hear It!
1. Chapter 1

_**BIG NOTE!!!!: I ADDED TO THIS CHAPTER SO DON'T THINK THAT YOUR READING THE SAME THING K?!!**_

**Pages from the Belt of Deltora its History, its Power and its Magic**

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**Disclaimer: _I don't own anything from this but would not appreciate people copying my idea's or posting this and saying that they made it… I AM THE FIRST TO COME UP WITH THIS!!! I DID THE RESEACH!!_**

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AN: how was that? Its my first disclaimer and I mean everything I've written.** P.s I took the liberty to combine something's that weren't in the same place but fit together. I also added some things that weren't in 'The Belt of Deltora'**

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()In ancient days, Deltora was divided into seven tribes. The tribes fought on their borders but otherwise stayed in their own place. Each had a gem from deep within the earth, a talisman with special powers.

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()There came a time when the Enemy from the Shadowlands cast greedy eyes on Deltora. The tribes were divided, and singly none of them could repel the invader, who began to triumph.

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()A hero Adin rose from the ranks of people. He was an ordinary man, a blacksmith who made swords and armour and shoes for horses. But he had been blessed with strength, courage and cleverness.

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()One night, Adin dreamed of a special and splendid belt- seven steel medallions beaten to the thinness of silk and connected together with fine chain. To each medallion was fixed one of the tribal gems.

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()Realising that the dream had been sent to him for a purpose, Adin worked in secret over many months to create a likeness of the belt he had been shown. Then he travelled around the kingdom to persuade each tribe to allow its talisman to be added to it.

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()The tribes were at first suspicious and wary, but, one by one, desperate to save their land, they agreed. As each gem became part of the belt, its tribe grew stronger. But the people kept their strength secret, and bided their time.

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()And when at last the belt was complete, Adin fastened it around his waist and it flashed like the sun. then all the tribes united behind his to form a great army, and together they drove the Enemy from their land.

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()And so Adin became the first king of the united tribes of Deltora and he ruled the land long and wisely. But he never forgot that he was a man of the people, and that their trust in him was the source of his power. Neither did he forget that the Enemy, though defeated, was not destroyed. He knew that the Enemy is clever and sly, and that to its anger and envy a thousand years is like the blink of an eye. So he wore the belt always, and never let it out of his sight

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()The first to leave the belt aside was Adin's grandson, King Elstred, who in his middle years grew fat with good living and found the steel cut sadly into his belly. Estred's chief advisor soothed his fears, saying that the belt need only be worn on great occasions. Estred's daughter, Queen Adina, followed her father's ways, wearing the belt only five times in her reign. Her son, King Brandon, wore it only three times. And at last it became the custom for the belt only to be worn on the day the heir took the throne.

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()At the urging of his chief advisor, King Brandon caused the Ralad builders to raise a great palace on the hill at the centre of the city of Del. The royal Family moved from the old blacksmith's forge to the palace, and over time it became the custom for them to remain within its walls, where no harm could come to them.

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()Each gem has its own magic, but together the seven make a spell that is far more powerful than the sum of its parts. Only the Belt of Deltora, Complete as it was first Fashioned by Adin and wore by Adin's true heir, has the power to defeat the Enemy.

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_**Power of the Seven Gems in the Belt of Deltora**_

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()The Topaz is a powerful gem, symbol for faithfulness, gold as the setting sun. Its strength increases as the moon grows full. The topaz protects its wearer from the terrors of the night. It has the power to open doors into the spirit world. It strengthens and clears the mind.

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()The great Ruby, symbol of happiness, red as blood, grows pale in the presence of evil, or when misfortune threatens its wearer. It wards off evil spirits, and is an antidote for snake venom.

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()The Opal, symbol of hope, shines with all the colours of the rainbow. It has the power to give glimpses of the future, and to aid those with weak sight. The opal has a special relationship with the Lapis Lazuli, the heavenly stone, a powerful talisman. The Lapis Lazuli is midnight blue with pinpoints of silver like the night sky and it's the stone of good fortune. It also protects from the things in the night.

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()The Diamond is the symbol of innocence, purity ad strength. Diamonds gained nobly, and with a pure heart, are a powerful force for good. They give courage and strength, Protect from pestilence and help the cause of true love. But take heed of this warning: Diamonds gained by treachery or violence, or desired out of envy or greed, are ill omens, and bring bad fortune. Great evil comes upon those who gain them without honour. Its clear and sparkling like ice

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()The Amethyst, symbol of truth, calms and soothes. It changes colour in the presence of illness, loses colour near poisoned drink or food. Its purple as the violets that grew on the banks of the river Del.

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()The Emerald, symbol for honour, green as lush grass. It dulls in the presence of evil, and when a vow is broken. It is a remedy for sores and ulcers, and an antidote to poison.

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_**Secrets of the Characters **_

**Jarred and Endon's secret code**

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Eg DEL ONEL O TELGEL O TELO TEL HELE KEL ITEL CEL HELE NEL SEL MEL I NELI SEL TELHEL E RELE

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The message looked like nonsense, and no-one in the palace could guess the meaning if they picked up a note by accident. But the code was simple.

All you had to do to decode a message was write down all the letters in a line, leaving out 'EL' wherever it appeared.

DONOTGOTOTHEKITCHENSMINISTHERE

Then you divided the letters into words that made sense.

DO NOT GO TO THE KITCHENS. MIN IS THERE.

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**The Secret code of Nij and Doj**

Thegans children Jin and Jod died at the hands of Jasmine, Leif and Barda. They spoke in a seemingly strange language but it was actually a clever way of talking. They talked backwards.

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"Noos team hserf"

"Fresh meat soon"

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"tey ydear yeht era?"

"Are they ready yet?"

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"Reverof peels nac uoy noos"

"Soon you can sleep forever"

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** Secret messages in letters **

On a letter it just a piece of poetry but there's more to this poem than meets the eye.

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Hidden Flocks Travel singing.  
Sparrow Friends feather old nests only ducks trust cages.  
Beaks stopped chirping be to chicks are you twittering whispers wings are there.  
Yet as trees known more branches nothing hoots.  
Here fluttering things with eggs deal pecking will I fly. br Seed fortune peaches good eagle.

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With a picture in the corner of birds flying out of a cage.

The meaning of this letter was in the picture it was of birds so you get rid of all the bird words, _ An: I've underlined the words that aren't bird words _

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Hidden  Flocks Travel singing.  
Sparrow Friends feather old nests only ducks trust cages.  
Beaks stopped chirping be to chicks are you twittering whispers wings are there.  
Yet as trees known more branches nothing hoots.  
Here fluttering  things with eggs deal pecking will I fly.  
Seed fortune perches  good  eagle.

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But  
"Hidden travel.  
Friends old only trust.  
Stopped be to are you whispers are there.  
Yet as known more nothing.  
Here things with deal will I.  
Fortune good"

Does not make sense so for each sentence we read it backwards.

"Travel hidden.  
Trust only friends.  
There are whispers you are to be stopped.  
Nothing more known as yet.  
I will deal with things here.  
Good Fortune."

**The Masked One's Language**

They use an 'a' sound in place of 'e', 'i', 'o' and 'u' in all words except names. And they used 't' instead of 'th'.

'_Farwall, Otto. Farwall, ald frand... Yar mask as ashas. Yar bady as dast. Naw ya dwall an ta grayt layt. Wan day way wall jayan ya. Wayt far as. Wayt far as….'_

'Farewell, Otto. Farewell, old friend… Now you dwell in the great light. One day we will join you. Wait for us. Wait for us….'

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**Secret to the belt of Deltora**

_D_iamond

_E_merald

_L_apis Lazuli

_T_opaz

_O_pal

_R_uby

_A_methyst

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THANK YOU!!! These people reviewed :)

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rin-ren-ran

Masked Rider of the Shadows

Elvish-Princess99

DoubleKK

- Then there's "butfaze" I'm not sure if I should thank them….

Bookybookbook

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**AN: I'll be adding another chapter soon I just got to find time to get it up and i've been busy lately :( darn all the test/assignments/Huge plies of homework and music I sing/play!**

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_Now my knowledgeable readers, lady's and gentlemen. I have a question for you all. _

_Please will you post your opinions by using the button bellow that say's "submit review" ?? Anomous people who aren't members can use it to :) _

Please remember that swearing can't help you calm down it just makes you more frustrated so for you personal safety please refrain from vile language :)


	2. The Deltora Book of Monsters

_Chapter 2_

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The Deltora Book of Monsters

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_**Disclaimer: I can't and never will own anything written in the Deltora Quest books…. Even though my name is Emily… if only I could change my last name to Rodda**_

_AN: ok, I accidentally borrowed the wrong book from my school library so…. Um instead of wasting this opportunity in not doing anything with it I'll put bits and pieces of it. Hope you like it :) And when I say bits and pieces I mean the parts I shortened and put the most relevant Information, its mainly in the first few that I changed the rest are pretty much the same as in the book. Enjoy._

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Soldeen

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**S**oldeen lurks in the murky depths of the Lake of Tears. He eats the blind, crawling things that infest his home, but will never pass up a chance to consume anyone or anything stupid enough to come within his reach.

He was created by Thaegan, Soldeen can breath both air and water like a catfish. He is also able to speak, swim with great speed and beach himself on the shore in pursuit of food.

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Gorl

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**A** fearsome being clad in the armour of a Jalis knight, Gorl is said to guard the dark centre of Mid Wood, the smallest of the three Forests of Silence. Legend has it that Gorl possesses supernatural strength and has the power to bend others to his will. Suspicious and jealous of his territory, he challenges all intruders, killing without mercy if his warning to flee is ignored. This story of a terrifying knight-presence haunting Mid Wood is an ancient one, having been told since before the joining of the seven tribes. **_The Deltora Annals_** contains more than fifty references to Gorl.

These are based only on the tales of travellers. Possibly they are simply reports of

nightmarish visions produced by the terror of the Forests. It is interesting to note,

however, that in all the accounts the details of the knight do not vary. In addition,

the sketches made by those who have claimed to have seen Gorl and escaped

with their lives, while varying widely in artistic skill, bear remarkable

similarities to one another.

The Origin of the Gorl legend, if legend it be, can probably be traced to a Jalis folk tale that is even older than the Gorl story itself. It is called 'The

Tale of the Three Knights', and is one of the 'Tenna Birdsong' stories. It concerns three brothers, Jalis knights, who travelled to the Forests of Silence to seek the fabled Lilies of Life.

The brothers at last found their prize only to begin fighting over it until the two youngest had perished at the hands of their older brother.

The names of the slain knights were Greddock and Gudden.

Their murdering brother was - Gorl.

Gorl is a common name among the Jalis.

But since in the tale the brothers find the Lilies of Life in 'the Forests' dark centre', we may surely guess at a link with the Gorl legend. Whether the link is one of fancy or of truth, who can say?

But if it is truth, then the magic that had kept the being called Gorl alive and menacing over such ages is dark and powerful indeed.

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The Wennbar and the Wenn

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**T**he Wennbar is a gross beast whose territory is Fist Wood – the Forest of Silence which is most near to Del. Its slavers are the Wenn, a strange tribe of cold-blooded beings over which it seems to exert complete control.

The Wenn, which themselves eat only the leaves of certain bushes, trap humans and animals that stray into their path so as to provide the Wennbar with the warm flesh it prefers for food. By rubbing their lower legs together they make a high pitched ringing sound unbearable to the ears of more advanced creatures. They then sting and paralyse their disabled prey and offer it to the Wennbar as a helpless, living sacrifice.

This partnership between Wenn and Wennbar is mysterious, and does not seem to be an equal one. According to **_The Deltora Annals_**, the Wenn worship the Wennbar as a god. The monster's pleasure at receiving food is their only reward. Its anger when cheated of prey usually means the death of one or more of them. Yet they do not rebel, but glory in their slavery.

Generally slow and heavy in its movements, the Wennbar is said to move extremely quickly when hungry or filled with anger. In addition, its neck, usually hidden in folds of flesh, can rapidly extend to enormous lengths, so that it can snatch creatures from trees and birds from the air.

By all accounts, there has only ever been one Wennbar, and the Wenn have always lived in the bushy grove called Wen Del that guards the entrance to its territory. Legend has it that every hundred years the Wennbar goes into a deep sleep and, having been bathed in special oils by the Wenn, dies giving birth to several young.

The young fight each other to the death over the motionless body of their parent. The victor is the new Wennbar, destined to be tyrant over the Wenn for the next century.

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The Sorceress Thaegan

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**T**he rise of a powerful sorceress in Deltora's north-east was first noted in **_The Deltora Annals_** during the last years of Queen Elsperth, the present King's great-grandmother.

The sorceress Thaegan is said to have inherited her magical abilities from her mother, a wise woman named Tamm.

Tamm was much respected by her neighbours in the northern village of Nest, for she could make successful love potions and cast healing spells. It was also said that she could transform herself into a black bird at will.

Thaegan's powers were much stronger than Tamm's, however, unhappily, though the girl was beautiful to look upon, her nature was cruel and spiteful. Bored by her nature was cruel and spiteful. Bored by her mother's simple life, she turned to dark magic to satisfy her, and finally to control her, but to no avail. Thaegan broke through the shutting spell Tamm had woven around their cottage, and fled into the mountains that separate Deltora from the Shadow Lands.

We cannot know what happened to her there, or what hideous bargain she may have struck with the evil forces she summoned to her hideaway. We only know that when she came down from the mountains again, seven years later, she was more powerful than any sorceress Deltora had ever seen, and her reign of terror over the north began.

Nearly a hundred years have passed, but the Sorceress Thaegan is today still alive and more powerful than ever. Her malice has increased with age. She is said to relish black birds for food – no doubt in spiteful memory of her mother. Despite a life of wickedness that has spanned over a century, she continues to have the appearance of a beautiful woman. The dread horror that must lurk beneath this illusion can only be imagined.

Witches, it is said, can be killed by drawing blood, but Thaegan is free from the fear of injury, for she is armoured by magic. Her body shines green as glass – protected by a surface that no arrow or spear can injure. The only exception is the tip of one little finger, the finger with which she casts her vile spells.

Though the king continues to be unaware of her existence, the people know of her only too well. Few now dare to travel through her territory. Those who have done so in the past have either never returned, or crawled back to their homes stricken in body and mind. Vast areas of countryside in the north have been laid waste. Notable among these waste lands is the hideous Lake of Tears, which floods the place where once shone the golden towers of D'Or.

Thaegan destroyed D'Or out of pure hatred – hatred of its beauty and its people's happiness. When the neighbouring folk of Raladin cried out against the destruction, she took away their voices so they could speak no more.

The Sorceress Thaegan has thirteen children, all of them foul, monstrous beings which aid her in her tyranny, and plunder the countryside. They are not as powerful as their mother but like her can create illusions and transform their shapes at will. Whether they were fathered by forces of darkness or simply brought forth by Thaegan on her own account, is not known.

Their likeness appears overleaf.

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Thaegan's Children

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**T**he names of Thaegan's evil brood are: Hor, Tor, Pik, Snik, Jin, Jod, Fie, Fly, Zan, Zod, Lun, Lod and Ichabod.

I gained knowledge of their names and appearance from an unfortunate man I found cringing by the city gates. He was ragged and starving. His mind had been clouded by horror. He was the only one of five travellers to have escaped the clutches of Thaegan's children. His companions were roasted alive and eaten. He was to be the last in the fire, but before his time came but before his time came the monsters, bloated, fell asleep. He managed to escape to stumble back to Del.

He could not even remember his own name, but the picture of Thaegan's children as he had seen them was burned into his brain.

Jin is green-white, and grossly fat. She had yellow tusks, and three stubby horns sprout from the back of her skull. Jod has metal spikes for teeth, and there are just two flaring nostrils where his nose should be. Fie and Fly are green with large heads and dripping brown fangs. Hot and Tot are small and yellow. Zan has six stubby legs. Pik and Snik are covered in brown hair. Lan and Lod are pale and bald. Zod is covered in lumps. Ichabod is huge, and slimy red.

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Grey Guards

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**G**rey Guards, slavish servants of the Shadow Lord, Appear human, but are monsters in the truest sense. Created by their master to enforce his evil sill, they lack all normal human emotions, relishing cruelty and destruction above all else. They have great physical strength, are capable of enormous speed and endurance, have keen eye sight and hearing and frequently hunt by scent. Their chief weapons are leather slings with which they hurl egg-shaped missies known as 'blisters'. Blisters burst on contact, releasing a burning poison which causes agonising death. Grey Guards have no understanding of the terms 'mother' and 'father', and live, work and fight in clan groups, or 'pods', of ten. Each member of a single pod is identical with his brothers (female Guards are unknown). Most observers believe that pod members are 'born' together, probably as mature adults, by some vile means as yet not known. All Grey Guards are known by their pod name followed by a number. Members of the Carn pod, for example, will be called Carn 1, Carn 2 and so on till Carn 10 is reached.

In ancient day's Grey Guards, then rarely seen in Deltora, were thought to be immortal. It is now known that, though they do not age visibly, they suddenly weaken and die after seven years. The mistaken belief in their immortality arose because when the members of any one pod neared their 'fail date' (as the seven-year limit is known), they are recalled to the Shadow Lands and replaced by a fresh set of ten bearing the same pod name, and with exactly the same appearance.

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The Seven Ak-Baba

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**T**hese ferocious creatures first appeared on Deltoran skies in the last years before the rise of Adin. They were identified as Ak-Baba – huge, vulture-like bird said to live a thousand years, and previously seen only by travellers to distant lands. **_The Deltora Annals_** contains several description of Ak-Baba from the days when Deltoran sea trade and exploration were common (days, sadly, long gone).

It is now known, however, that the seven Ak-Baba patrolling Deltora are not wild birds. They are creatures of the Shadow Lord, used to spy, destroy and accomplish tasks that require great speed. They are more ferocious than their wild cousins, and, as well as feeding on dead flesh, will attack living creatures without hesitation. They possess teeth as well as a tearing beak and claws. A foul smell surrounds them, lingering for hours they have departed. And, most importantly, their minds appear to be linked to that of the Shadow Lord, for they do his will without spoken command. Our conclusion must be that they have been altered, or bred, to suit the Shadow Lord's purposes.

No weapon had yet proved successful against them. Even the mighty winged Dragons of old could not defeat them. Several eye-witness reports of terrible sky battles between single Dragons and up to five of Seven Ak-Baba are included in the **_Deltora Annals_**. The fights raged for days, but always the Dragon was at last destroyed. It is no doubt the Seven Ak-Baba are responsible for the gradual decline in Deltoran Dragon numbers, and their present (believed) extinction.

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Reeah

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**O**ne of Deltora's greatest mysteries is the fabled City of the Rats. An old, walled city on a barren plain, it is without human life. Its people abandoned it long ago, fleeing from the rats which infested their halls. Details in the Annals are few, for the city (then called Hira) was isolated. It lay in the bend of the river Broad, and could only be reached from the north.

The first report, in the time of King Brandon, tell of the beginning of the Hira rat plague. The last, fifty years later, is by a wanderer called Rue, who helped dig a canal to separate 'the Plain of the Rats' from an orchard to its north. He enjoyed this (despite the 'fierce bees' swarming in the orchard) for he received in return: 'food, shelter and excellent Cider twice a day.'

Before leaving, Rue crossed the canal and visited the deserted city on the plain. He dared not enter, for 'it seethed with vicious rats. Fighting for space and breath, the living feasting upon the dead.'

Some say Hira's rat plague was a curse. But I believe it was part if a sinister plan, for I know the city's evil secret. The rats are only food for a far greater terror. A young pedlar called Steven told me this. He said he and his brother had decided I should know. When asked how they knew of it, and of me, he said: 'the bees told us.' He sounds mad, perhaps. Yet I know he told me the truth.

Deep within the City the Rats there is a giant snake called Reeah. Its body is as thick as an ancient tree trunk, and vast enough to fill a great hall. Its vanity and wickedness know no bounds.

How did it come to the city? Who is the one it calls its Master? Why do Ak-Baba so often hover above its lair in Deltora's heart? I fear I know the answer to these questions. They fill me with dread.

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Dragons

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**I**t is generally believed that the Deltoran Dragons are extinct, having been at last wiped out by the Shadow Lord's Seven Ak-baba. Many farmers, whose herds were preyed upon by Dragons, say this is no loss. Those who know old tales of girls being carried off so their long hair could line Dragons' nests, agree. More thoughtful students of life think otherwise.

In general, Dragons hunted only to satisfy their hunger and feed their young. As soon as villagers began to leave out tresses of hair in Spring, for example, Dragons no longer took maidens at nesting time. Dragons were dangerous, there is no doubt. But they had no particular wish to harm. Native to Deltora, they were part of the natural order and owed no loyalty to any creature other than themselves. The Seven Ak-Baba, which can now patrol Deltoran skies without hindrance, are a very different matter.

Furthermore, I suspect that Dragons, the most ancient of beasts, were linked with the land more closely than we understand. The Dragons were divided into seven breeds – just as the original Deltoran people were divided into seven tribes. Each breed shared its territory with one tribe, and, most interestingly, each had its own colour.

The undersides of all were the same, changing colour with the sky so that flying beasts would be hard to see from the ground. Each breed, however, shone a different colour on the back – the colour of its territory's totem stone, the gem which became, in the time of Adin, part of the magic Belt of Deltora.

Thus, the Del Dragons were golden, like the topaz.

Those of Raladin were ruby red. The Dragons of the Plains shone with all the colours of the rainbow, like the opal.

The Mere Dragons were darkest blue with points of silver, like the lapis lazuli.

The Dragons of the Dread Mountain were emerald green. The Toran Dragons were purple, like the amethyst. And the scales of the Dragons of the Jalis glittered like the diamond. This is a great mystery, and one which must make us all think carefully before rejoicing at the Dragons disappearance. If they have truly gone from our land, we could have lost far more than we realise. But I am not convinced they have gone. My readings over the years has given me great respect for the wisdom of these beasts. It would not surprise me if, after centuries of loss, the last Dragons decided to hide themselves so that their race could continue. I hope with all my heart that it is so. The decline of the Dragons is a powerful symbol of the way in which, slowly but surely, the balance of Deltora's natural world has been twisted and ravaged by the evil mind that broods over the Shadow Lands.

And the corruption of the natural world is itself a symbol of what has happened to our society. Once united, thriving and strong, the people are divided, suffering and fearful. The heirs of Adin, once our trusted leaders, guardians of the magic Belt of Deltora, are locked away from us, and kept in ignorance of our fate.

_**An**: if you want me to continue and add some more just ask and it shall be granted lol I'm you typical Deltoran genie lol all you have to do is 'rub' the review button bellow :) _


	3. Tales of Deltora

Chapter 3

**Tales of Deltora**

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_**The Land of Dragons**_

Once, when the world was young, the sea was alive with monsters and all the lands were islands. The islands were many, but most were far apart. To birds flying high, they looked like jewelled eggs, cupped in nests of foam and scattered on the broad blue plain.

Some of the islands were small, and some were large, but all were prisoners of the sea. For the sea was vast and deadly – an endless waste of cruel water, seething with teeth, spines, cold black eyes and tentacles that coiled like hungry tongues.

One of the largest and strangest of the islands was called by the people the Land of Dragons, for dragons ruled the skies. The people were divided into seven tribes, and each tribe kept to its own territory. Even between neighbouring tribes there was little trade, marriage or friendship. Instead there was suspicion and, all too often, war, for food and fresh water were not equally divided among the territories, and life was hard for many.

But if the people pf the Land of Dragons knew little about their neighbours, they knew nothing at all of the world beyond their shores. For all they knew, indeed, they were alone beneath the vast dome of the sky.

To their north was another island, richly green and ringed with pure sand. At dawn, at noon and at sunset, a faint sound drifted from this island like a beckoning call. But no dragon soared in its skies, and no living thing was ever seen walking on its white shore.

Imprisoned by the perilous sea that surrounded them, the people of the Land of Dragons could only gaze at the misty green island from afar. They wondered about it, and many tales and legends grew about it.

Old folk said that it was their own island's twin, but a twin that was perfectly good, lacking the evils and dangers of the Land of Dragons. It was said that The Twin was a magic place. It was said that hidden deep within the green were crystal palaces, lush gardens and pools of sweet water that mirrored the sky.It was said that within this paradise lived wondrous beings who were wise and good.

There were those who laughed, and did not believe the tales. There were others who longed to see the wonders of The Twin for themselves, without hoping that they ever would. But now and then a brave soul – or a fool – should make a boat and set out to discover the truth.

Not one of these adventurers was ever seen again. The Twin was further away than it seemed. No matter how early a craft set out, darkness always overtook it while it was still in open sea, so it was lost to sight. When watchers in the Land of Dragons looked again at dawn, the sea was always empty.

Some people clung to the hope that the lost ones had reached the magic isle and the night and now were safe in bliss among the crystal palaces and the flowers. But most suspected that the sea had claimed them, and in their dreams they saw bones lying gnawed and white in deep, cloudy water amid the splinters of wood, a rusting anchor and the rotting rags of sails.

For the beasts of the sea sere fearful. They writhed and fought without ceasing. They were savage, and always hungry. Only the dragons sis not fear them. Only the dragons dared to fish far from shore, changing the churning water to steam with their fiery breath.

Some of the sea monsters hunted the fish that swarmed beneath the surface of the waves, birds that swooped too near, and humans who strayed too far from the Land of Dragons – Sea Serpent, Sea Wolf, Mirodan, Strangler, Vulture Fish, Bird Bane and Dead-eye were just a few of the names that struck dread in every heart.

Some monsters invaded the land to seek prey, swimming up rivers, lurking in caves or crawling onto rocks and sandy shores. These beast's, too, were names, Kobb, Kreel, Stinger, Bubbler, Blood Creeper and Death Spinner or Glus.

But the largest and most ghastly of all the monsters of the sea skulked in the depths, carving grottos and palaces in the darkness. No human ever saw them and lived, so they remained nameless.

And so it was, when the world was young. The monsters of the sea ruled, and thought their reign would never end. The dragons were the glittering masters of the sky. The people lived in fear, and clung to the land. And the land waited, biding its time.

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**Fire and Water**

For countless ages the sea seemed unchanging to the people of the Land Of Dragons.

That was because they saw only its surface, gleaming in the sun by day., and heaving black beneath the stars at night.

They could not see that, far below, the nameless monsters, blind, jealous and bloated, were burrowing deeper into the sea bed. They did not know that in places not far from their island the rock of the sea bed had grown thin as an egg shell, and that the fiery core of the earth below, hotter than a dragon's breath, was preparing to belch its fury forth.

The tribe of the west, a grave, black-haired people wise in the ways of magic, sensed that a great terror was coming. In their meeting house of woven branches, the leaders scattered fortune telling stones. They saw that the stones meaning fire, water, death and marriage fell together time after time. But they did not know what to think of it.

The dragons, too, sensed that change was coming. They felt the land quiver with the knowledge. They smelled it in the air. But they did not wonder what it meant. They merely watched, and waited.

And there came a morning- a beautiful, still morning when the sky was like a perfect blue bowl set over a sea as smooth as glass- when the birds and insects of the island fell silent, and the beasts in the fields raised their heads.

The dragons knew it was time. In a great, glittering rush, they took to the air. They rose from every corner of the island, from the rocks and dunes of the west and east, from the sandy shores of the south, the forests, plains and hills of the centre and the cliffs of the north. There were thousands of them- thousands upon thousands. There were so many that their great, leathering wings, glimmering with all the colours of the rainbow, blocked out the sun.

The people of the seven tribes gaped in terror. The earth trembled beneath their feet. The sky was dark with dragons. There was a low sound from the north, as if the sea itself was growling. And then those who that day were near the northern shores saw the sun turn white. The beasts of the sea were whipping the water to foam as they struggled to flee.

But it was too late to flee. With a mighty roar, the sea bed split, and fire belched upward.

The Land of Dragons quaked. Great cracks opened in the earth. The hills fell to rubble and new hills grew. The air was thick with steam, and pale, slimy dead things fell from the sky like rain. And still the fire and water met and raged beneath the sea, each battling to quench the other.

The people howled like beasts and fell to the ground, clapping their hands over their ears. The sound was frightful. The sights were sights of terror. They heard a thunderous, crashing groan of rock, and the island shuddered. They thought the end of their world had come.

But their world had not ended. It had merely changed. And when those who were left alive crawled to their feet in the exhausted silence that fell upon the land at last, they saw how it was- at least in part.

The sands and bays of the northern coast were gone- buried beneath towering mountains of rock torn from the sea bed. The high, rugged headland of the north-west had become one peak among many which now stretched in a grim, unbroken line from west to east.

And what was behind those mountains, only the dragons knew, on the first day. Only the dragons, flying high above, had seen the space between the Land of Dragons and the green island to its north disappear as the cracked sea bed collapse and folded in on itself, and the water turn to steam. Only they saw the two islands collide, their coasts forever sealed together by melted rock and the weight of the new mountain range.

The twin islands had become one. Fire, water and death had brought about a marriage, just as the stones of the west had foretold.

But the seven tribes of the Land of Dragons knew none of this on that first day, and if they had known, they would not have cared. Morning their dead, mourning the destruction of their homes and villages, they wandered their changed territories like lost souls.

Nothing was as it had been. For seven days and seven nights the sun was masked by cloud, and salt water fell like fine rain. The think air stank of death. And the dragons did not come to land.

But on the eighth day, the rain stopped. A light breeze came, and blew away the clouds and the stink of death. The sun shone again, and people raising their faces gratefully to tits light and warmth saw the dazzle of rainbow colours as dragons swooped to earth.

And on that day, one by one, each tribe made a discovery. The great cracks that had opened in the earth had created hills and valleys, caves and rivers where none had existed before. But they had done more than that. In every territory, the splitting rock had given up a great secret- wondrous gem from deep within the earth.

The people of each tribe marvelled as they felt the power of the gift the land had given them- a talisman born of its own suffering, promising protection and a new beginning.

Ad that day did indeed mark a new beginning for the Land of Dragons. New rivers ran now, from the mountains to the sea. The earth grew rich and fertile. The land blossomed, beasts fattened and fruit hung heavy on vines. The people of the coast went out in boats and caught fish, for vast numbers of the sea monsters had died in the battle of fire and water, and their reign of terror had ended.

The green land on the other side of the mountains that separated them were as fearsome a barrier as the sea had once been. Monsters torn from the deep survived in dripping lairs deep within the rocks. In the cold, wet darkness they grew strong, bred, and changed. So the mountains became a place of terror, the refuge of scoundrels, bandits and murderers who needed to hide where no-one dared to follow.

Some of the curious from the Land of Dragons went around the mountain barrier by sea. They drew their boats up on the shores of the beautiful green land they knew as The Twin. They smelled its sweet air, and stepped onto its white sand. But try as they might, they could move no further. Powerful magic held them back, and at last they ere forced to leave with their curiosity unsatisfied and their gifts of friendship ungiven.

The beings of The Twin had no wish to trade, tell tales or know their neighbours, it seemed. They did not desire company.

So after a time the people of the Land of Dragons almost forgot that another land existed behind the mountains of he north. They look outward for their pleasure. They sailed the ocean far and wide. They found other lands and brought back treasures, ideas, strange foods, and beasts and birds from far away. But at home they rarely stayed beyond their borders. At home, each tribe stayed in its own place.

And each tribe jealously guarded its talisman, the gem of power that had been the land's gift after the time of trial. Each tribe thought itself especially rich and favoured, for it did not know the other talismans existed.

The dragons knew, but each dragon drew strength only from the gem of its own territory, and cared nothing for the rest. And the land knew, but it could not speak to those who would not hear. So again it waited, biding it time.

* * *

**The Four Sisters**

Long ago, on a beautiful island set in a silver sea, there lived four sisters whose voices were as sweet as their hearts were pure. Their names were Flora, Viva, Aqua and Terra, and they had lived on the island so long that they had forgotten the number of the years.

The sisters loved to sing together, and their voices flowed over the island like soft, warm breezes by night and by day. Now and then a ship passed by, but to most of the sailors the sisters' song was like whispering leaves, lapping water, drifting sand, and the soft, secret rustling of small animals in the grass. The few who claimed to hear sweet voices were mocked by their fellows. But they knew what they had heard, and never forgot it until their dying days.

It so happened that a sorcerer came to the island, searching for a place to call his own. He heard the singing and hated it, as he hated all things good and beautiful, for although he was still young in years, he was old in wickedness.

He seised the four sisters and imprisoned each on a separate corner of the island. But the sisters still sang to one another from afar, and their song continued to bathe the island in peace and beauty by night and by day.

Maddened with rage, the sorcerer drew his cloak of shadows around him, nad took up his magic staff. Hr stormed to each of he island's corners in turn and struck the sisters down, one by one.

First Flora's voice ceased. The Viva's. The Aqua's. For a time Terra sang on alone. But when her voice, too, was stopped, the island was silent.

And only then did the sorcerer realise what he had done. For in the very centre of the island, hidden deep within the earth, was a vile and hideous beast. Soothed by the singing of the four sisters, the beast had slept for centuries.

Now it awoke, in all its fury.

It rose, roaring, from its bed beneath the earth. It tore down the trees, crushed the small beast, fouled the spring (An: what I thought of when I copied this was of the beast destroying everything, then when he saw the spring dropping everything and took a potty brake.. lol I dano... I just couldn't stop from laughing roflmao) and smashed the mountains. It cracked the very rock on which the island rested, and the island began to sink.

In terror the sorcerer leaped into the silver sea. He conjured up a boat with a grey sail marked with red, and sailed away into the east, to find new lands to conquer.

The waves closed over the island and it has never been seen by human eye from that day to this. A few of the sailors who pass that way still claim to hear the sweet voices singing beneath the water. They are mocked by their fellows, who hear only the sound of wind and waves.

But the few know what they heard, and they never forget it, until their dying days.

* * *

**AN: TAKE HEED MY READERS THIS CHAPTER IS NOT COMPLETE! I just can't be bothered to type up 175 pages or something around that at this time. I'm just posting this because it may take some time and a lot of effort on my part to type it all... I also think you might be daunted from reading a 175 page chapter this is just 4 and a bit pages so enjoy the part I've given you... **

**I may update this and if I do I'll say so in a chapter after this when I finish another chapter and post it. or if I haven't finished another chapter I'll post a 'review reply' chapter with a chapter update like which chapter was updated and when.**

**Well if you read all that then I hope you'll understand everything :)**

**Review my lovely readers please :) I just love your comments :)**


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